On a quiet farm in Fruita, Colorado, farmer Lloyd Olsen prepared to slaughter a rooster for his family's dinner. The five-and-a-half-month-old Wyandotte rooster seemed like any other chicken that morning. Olsen grabbed his axe and aimed for the bird's neck, expecting a quick and clean cut, but what happened next would make headlines across America.

The axe struck the rooster's neck, removing most of its head but leaving a small portion of the brain stem and one ear intact. The chicken immediately stood up and began walking around the yard as if nothing had happened. Olsen watched in amazement as the bird continued its normal behavior, attempting to preen and even trying to crow with its remaining throat.

The farmer realized the axe had missed the jugular vein and left the brain stem connected to the spinal cord. This small piece of brain tissue controlled the chicken's basic survival functions like breathing and heart rate. The bird could still swallow when fed directly into its throat opening. Olsen decided to keep the remarkable chicken alive, naming him Mike.

Mike became a national sensation, touring sideshows and county fairs across the country. People paid to see the miracle chicken who lived without a head. Mike survived for 18 months, growing from 2.5 to 8 pounds. His story captured America's imagination during the post-war period, proving that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

In Marseille, France, Hamida Djandoubi became the last person executed by guillotine in French history. The 28-year-old Tunisian immigrant had been convicted of torturing and murdering his former girlfriend, Elisabeth Bousquet. His execution marked the end of nearly 200 years of guillotine use in France, closing a chapter on one of history's most famous execution methods.

The guillotine had been France's primary execution method since 1792, introduced during the French Revolution as a more humane and equal form of capital punishment. Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin promoted the device as a quick, painless death that treated all condemned prisoners equally, regardless of social class. For nearly two centuries, the distinctive blade had carried out thousands of executions across France.

Djandoubi's case had shocked the French public with its brutality. He had kidnapped, tortured, and killed the 21-year-old woman in a crime that involved extreme violence. The trial revealed disturbing details that convinced the jury to recommend death despite growing opposition to capital punishment in France. The execution took place at Baumettes Prison before dawn, witnessed only by officials and legal representatives.

This execution came just months before France would abolish the death penalty entirely. Public opinion had been shifting against capital punishment throughout the 1970s, with many viewing it as outdated and inhumane. In 1981, France officially banned the death penalty, making Djandoubi's execution a historical footnote marking the end of an era in French criminal justice.

Iron Pillar of Delhi🏛️
The Iron Pillar of Delhi, built around 400 CE, has resisted rust for over 1,600 years due to advanced metallurgy. This 23-foot tall iron pillar stands perfectly preserved despite Delhi's monsoon climate, baffling modern scientists who still debate exactly how ancient Indian metallurgists achieved this rust-proof alloy.

Ancient Shampoo🧴
Ancient Indians invented shampoo using herbs and natural oils around 1500 BCE. The word "shampoo" comes from the Sanskrit "champu," meaning "to massage," and these early hair treatments used ingredients like hibiscus, fenugreek, and coconut oil that are still popular today.

Mayan Dentist🦷
Ancient Mayans practiced dentistry, drilling teeth and installing jade and gold dental inlays. Wealthy Mayans decorated their teeth with precious stones and metals as status symbols, using sophisticated drilling techniques and natural adhesives that kept these dental modifications in place for life.

Sanskrit Rain🌧️
The ancient Sanskrit language had over 250 words for rain, reflecting India's monsoon-dependent agriculture. Sanskrit distinguished between gentle mist, seasonal downpours, life-giving rain, destructive floods, and dozens of other precipitation types - showing how deeply weather was woven into Indian culture and survival.

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